Those of you know me well realize that I am continuously seeking to understand the realm of Quantum Physics, ESP, the Law of Attraction, and other invisible yet powerful universal energy principles.  My great friend Ivan Huber who lives in Colorado recommended - and then gifted the Black Swan to me. I consider Ivan quite an intellectual and respectfully embraced his recommendation - explaining to myself after the fact that this book came to me for a reason.

This book, the Black Swan, has taken me to that enjoyable place of deep contemplation - philosophical meanderings of epistemology, and even the Platonic Fold - where our representation of reality ceases to apply - but we don’t know it. 

Before the discovery of Australia, people of the Old World were convinced that ALL swans were white, an unassailable belief as it seemed completely confirmed by empirical evidence. According to Taleb, a Black Swan is an event that consists of three elements: It’s a random event, outside what one might expect to occur, second, the event carries extreme impact, and third, despite that it is an outlier (and unexpected) human nature makes us concoct explanations for its occurrence after the fact, making it explainable and predictable.

The imperitive of this line of thinking makes what you don’t know more relevant than what you do know.

One of the fascinating components of the Black Swan, is that it is written in a way in which elements of risk taking and predictability are also explored in a societal context. What Taleb refers to as Mediocristan verses Extremistan -  are ways of considering two very different types of uncertainty or randomness. The former being when the sample is too large to have a significant impact on the aggregate, and the latter when a single observation can disproportionately impact the aggregate, or total. If you are understanding what I am talking about - then great - I am half way through the book - and look forward to exploring and explaining and discussing some of these concepts.  in conclusion, a couple questions come to mind. What events of your past have you experienced, and then explained in hind site with no real empirical evidence - just a “sense” as to why it occurred?   In evaluating your life-style and plan, are you banking on a highly improbable event to occur - or NOT occur - to direct your success?  If one seemingly random event took place in your job, what would be the impact? Could you recognize a BLACK SWAN if you saw one?

I will leave you with this quote from Captain EJ Smith of the Titanic from 1907.*  “But in all my experience, I have never been in any accident…of any sort worth speaking about. I have seen but one vessel in distress in all my years at sea. I never saw a wreck and never have been wrecked nor was I ever in any predicament that threatened to end in disaster of any sort.” * Captain Smith’s ship sank in 1912 in what has become the most talked about shipwreck in history…

Kentega Ascent

One of my mentors and instructor for my Alpine Guide Course, Kevin Mahoney, (also a fellow New Hampshire-ite) along with Ben Gilmore and Freddie Wilkinson successfully climbed the north face of Kantega in Nepal last month. Kevin and Ben are both Exum Guides, and trained at Mountain Athlete last summer/fall preparing for the climb.

 The 3 Peaks Challenge is climb of the highest peaks of Scotland, England and Whales in 24 hours. For the last 5 years  Coins has made the 3 Peaks Challenge into one of the largest team fund raising events in the construction industry.      Check it out – the event is awesome!  http://www.coins3peakschallenge.com/cp_root/h/Home/The_Event/1/

Each team raises funds to compete and then all the funds are donate to the Coin Foundation – have been distributed to the Cure Foundation, Care Foundation, Habitat for Humanity & PEGS.

Last year the event had OVER 1300 people involved, with 170 teams and raised over $560,000 http://www.coins3peakschallenge.com/cp_root/h/Home/Records/4/

Converstions with Coins are about RECREATING the event in the USA by climbing the three high peaks in the North East - such as NY (MT. Marcy) Vermont (MT. Mansfield) & Mass (Mt. Greylock) . Mountain Endurance anyone??

The vison is to create an annual fall event (starting in 2009), which will build over the years to come to be THE PREMIERE FUNDRAISING and CONSTRUCTION NETWORKING Event in the country -in conjunction with an amazing annual mountain endurance event.  i can see the CFMA teams now… What an adventure it will be!   http://www.coins3peakschallenge.com/cp_root/h/Home/Home/21/

The COINS 3 Peaks Challenge is the classic mountain challenge exclusively for the Construction Industry. You will compete alongside other teams from your own industry to take on the challenge.

Yours in Adventure!

Tim

“The Grand Clue” has been solved!  Recently, Grand Dynamics facilitated a Mob-Style Murder Mystery event.  The event took place at the Soho Grand in New York City and consisted of 37 marketing representatives from a healthcare company and a world leader in diabetes research and care, Novo Nordisk. 

Teams, consisting of six representatives, were provided with character description cards and motives for all seven “suspects.”It was the teams’ job to find out which “suspect “was the killer, where the murder took place in and what weapon was used.

Teams participated in three activities: Crime Scene Crossing, Mysterious Communication and Punch Out - each delivered in investigation style challenge. Once each activity was solved, teams received clues about the murder.  Although all teams competed against each other in the activities, they had to come together in the end to solve the murder mystery.  Competitive – yet collaborative… sound familiar???

Our forum is here to share how things are going and the tools that are working, or not!  Developing Sensory Acquity and Feedback is KING.   I look forward to all of your comments and posts on the forum. Please register if you haven’t already!  Lastly - THANK YOU ALL for sharing a slice of life and all your energy and passion.  It was truly a gift!

Yours in Adventure -

Tim Walther

Here is a comment from one inspired participant:

———————-

Tim,

Not only did the weekend seminar meet my “magic statement” expectations it exceeded them!

Certainly, “The Seeking True North Weekend in Jackson Hole was the best because I had so much FUN, and I was reenergized to embrace life with passion. I learned how to truly FOCUS on my life’s purpose, connecting deeply with my authentic intention, and gained the necessary skills and tools to put my LIFE IN MOTION like never before - with COURAGE and DETERMINATION.”

But the experience went much deeper and further. I was a awakened to a new sense of self awareness in relating to others and learned how to improve upon my communication, building confidence. Being forced into my “growth zone” especially facing my full on fear of heights while mountain climbing taught me that however palpable my fear is, it does not have to hold me back.

This experience was a true GIFT in my life. I don’t have the words to express the overwhelming gratitude that fills my heart. Saying thank you to your solid team of leaders and friends, and to the participants does not seem adequate. Please know how very much I appreciate all of you!

With Love and Gratitude,

Teresa

Teresa Griswold,
Living Well Columnist for the Planet Jackson Hole

————–

If you are reading this because you got an email, talked with a friend or read an article in Planet Jackson Hole or Jackson Hole News and Guide and are considering the Seeking True North ACTION SEMINAR, here are a few things to consider.  My name is Tim Walther and I am the President of Grand Dynamics. 10 years ago I started this company with the dream of creating a way to live in Jackson Hole and create a life where I could explore the world through climbing adventures.  I had a vision to work with corporate groups long before there was a Four Seasons, Amangani or even consistent air service into the valley.  Equally imporant was my vision of creating a company based on experiential training and development principles. Principles in which action and adventure melds together with psychology, business and philosphy and focused on empowering individuals and teams to live a life of their dreams.  After living in Jackson Hole and realizing that I needed to take action to realize my vision, I went back to graduate school and studied the science of Experiential Training and Development - my Masters thesis was my business plan for Grand Dynamics. This was the winter of 1998.  Now in the early days of this venture I, like many starving entrepreneurs, worked multiple jobs as a bar tender and such to make ends meet.  I began my busines with a focus on quality over quantity, as we all know that this town is very small and word travels like lighting. 

I went to countless seminars, read hundreds of business, self-help, psychology and human performance periodicals. I worked day and night to deliver one successful program after the next and began to travel around the country delivering seminars. Steadily I began to have people believe in what I was doing and invest in my programs that I developed.  Over the years Grand Dynamics has developed into an international company with offices in New York, Baltimore, California and now in Chiang Mai Thailand.

About 8 years ago I had the great pleasure of meeting Erick Erickson at one of those training and devopment seminars.  Little did I know how much power this man would have in my life. A few months later Grand Dynamics landed a contract with CFMA- The Construction Financial Management Association. Since the first program with CFMA, Rick and I have delivered, every fall, two 4-day leadership retreats (I now call them Advances) along with a multitude of other training programs around the country - and globe.  The focus of these leadership development programs is to combine an amazing Experience with as many personal and professional models, methods, tools and habits as one can reasonably fit into any multi-day format.  The design of these programs was an amalgamation of what I had and what i continue to learn about the art and science of human performance. At the end of each program Master Rick and I would stand before our group of 25 attendees or more and ask what they had learned.  The result was a list of well over one hundred principles that have had PROFOUND impace into the lives of our program attendees.  Of course these concepts are also at the core foundation of the varied Grand Dynamics programs. As the successful training programs, speaking engagements and international climbing adventures continued Rick and I began to talk about writing a book. That book, of course, is Seeking True North.

It is my honor to be launching Seeking True North - the ACTION SEMINAR here in Jackson Hole. This program will be an intimate group of friends and colleagues who share the passion for a life of Freedom, Beauty and Success.

Here is a taste of WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT when you sign up for this weekend program. For starters, we have an amazing group of individuals who are commited to an amazing weekend.  People from varied industries including Data Networking President, Construction CFO, Building Entrepreneur, an individual about to embark on a year or more tour of Europe, a full time Musician, Performance Consulting Executive and one of the worlds best female rock climbers to name a few.   Several of our key Grand Dynamics team members will be on hand to support the delivery of an outstanding three day transformation.

FRIDAY NIGHT we will focus on the art of PREPARATION. Fundamentally this begins with our personal and professional VISIONS of the life we want to live on a continuours basis. In a fun, engaging and interactive environment we will explore the core of what is most important to focus on in life. We will embrace our fears and create powerful psychological anchors that will be with you to call upon for the REST OF YOUR LIFE.  This experience culminates in the BREAKTHROUGH experience, where you will literally break through a wooden board as a metaphor and achor for total success.  The first time I experienced a workshop of this sort, I had three words written on my board. CREATE GRAND DYNAMICS. This was 11 years ago.

SATURDAY will be a day filled with adventure in our back yard at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Participants will engage in a series of activities that will bring to life the PRACTICE of Seeking True North. Challenge, Adventure, Teamwork, Deep Shamonic Meditation, Rock Climbing and MORE await. Saturday night will be filled with more action, learning and fun… before we head downtown to celebrate the day!

Sunday we will be moving from knowing what to do to doing what we know with Grand Dynamics Action Planning process that has WORKED FOR THOUSANDS of our PARTICIPANTS. We will also focus on additional models, methods and tools that are not in Seeking True North.

The models, methods and tools in Seeking True North are there because they work. IF you use these tools you WILL create and live the life of YOUR DREAMS and experience happiness and passion like never before. And our committment to you is to deliver them through an experience that you will never forget.

One WORD OF CAUTION: This program is for leaders - and for people who STEP UP. We have no room for people who don’t want and expect the best out of life - and from the people we CHOOSE to surround ourselves with. If you are ready for a transformational experience, then sign up NOW by emailing me directly at tim@granddynamics.com .

I look forward to talking with you soon.

Yours in Adventure -

Tim Walther

President

Grand Dynamics International

Franklin Delano Roosevelt  March 4, 1933

And yet our distress comes from no failure of substance. We are stricken by no plague of locusts. Compared with the perils which our forefathers conquered, because they believed and were not afraid, we have still much to be thankful for. Nature still offers her bounty and human efforts have multiplied it. Plenty is at our doorstep, but a generous use of it languishes in the very sight of the supply.

Primarily, this is because the rulers of the exchange of mankind’s goods have failed, through their own stubbornness and their own incompetence, have admitted their failure, and have abdicated. Practices of the unscrupulous money changers stand indicted in the court of public opinion, rejected by the hearts and minds of men.

True, they have tried. But their efforts have been cast in the pattern of an outworn tradition. Faced by failure of credit, they have proposed only the lending of more money. Stripped of the lure of profit by which to induce our people to follow their false leadership, they have resorted to exhortations, pleading tearfully for restored confidence. They only know the rules of a generation of self-seekers. They have no vision, and when there is no vision the people perish.

Yes, the money changers have fled from their high seats in the temple of our civilization. We may now restore that temple to the ancient truths. The measure of that restoration lies in the extent to which we apply social values more noble than mere monetary profit.

Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrill of creative effort. The joy, the moral stimulation of work no longer must be forgotten in the mad chase of evanescent profits. These dark days, my friends, will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves, to our fellow men.

Recognition of that falsity of material wealth as the standard of success goes hand in hand with the abandonment of the false belief that public office and high political position are to be valued only by the standards of pride of place and personal profit; and there must be an end to a conduct in banking and in business which too often has given to a sacred trust the likeness of callous and selfish wrongdoing. Small wonder that confidence languishes, for it thrives only on honesty, on honor, on the sacredness of obligations, on faithful protection, and on unselfish performance; without them it cannot live.

Restoration calls, however, not for changes in ethics alone. This Nation is asking for action, and action now.

Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face it wisely and courageously. It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by the Government itself, treating the task as we would treat the emergency of a war, but at the same time, through this employment, accomplishing great — greatly needed projects to stimulate and reorganize the use of our great natural resources.

Through this program of action we address ourselves to putting our own national house in order and making income balance outgo. Our international trade relations, though vastly important, are in point of time, and necessity, secondary to the establishment of a sound national economy. I favor, as a practical policy, the putting of first things first. I shall spare no effort to restore world trade by international economic readjustment; but the emergency at home cannot wait on that accomplishment.

The basic thought that guides these specific means of national recovery is not nationally — narrowly nationalistic. It is the insistence, as a first consideration, upon the interdependence of the various elements in and parts of the United States of America — a recognition of the old and permanently important manifestation of the American spirit of the pioneer. It is the way to recovery. It is the immediate way. It is the strongest assurance that recovery will endure.

In the field of world policy, I would dedicate this Nation to the policy of the good neighbor: the neighbor who resolutely respects himself and, because he does so, respects the rights of others; the neighbor who respects his obligations and respects the sanctity of his agreements in and with a world of neighbors.

If I read the temper of our people correctly, we now realize, as we have never realized before, our interdependence on each other; that we can not merely take, but we must give as well; that if we are to go forward, we must move as a trained and loyal army willing to sacrifice for the good of a common discipline, because without such discipline no progress can be made, no leadership becomes effective.

We are, I know, ready and willing to submit our lives and our property to such discipline, because it makes possible a leadership which aims at the larger good. This, I propose to offer, pledging that the larger purposes will bind upon us, bind upon us all as a sacred obligation with a unity of duty hitherto evoked only in times of armed strife.

With this pledge taken, I assume unhesitatingly the leadership of this great army of our people dedicated to a disciplined attack upon our common problems.

Action in this image, action to this end is feasible under the form of government which we have inherited from our ancestors. Our Constitution is so simple, so practical that it is possible always to meet extraordinary needs by changes in emphasis and arrangement without loss of essential form. That is why our constitutional system has proved itself the most superbly enduring political mechanism the modern world has ever seen.

It has met every stress of vast expansion of territory, of foreign wars, of bitter internal strife, of world relations. And it is to be hoped that the normal balance of executive and legislative authority may be wholly equal, wholly adequate to meet the unprecedented task before us. But it may be that an unprecedented demand and need for undelayed action may call for temporary departure from that normal balance of public procedure.

I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken nation in the midst of a stricken world may require. These measures, or such other measures as the Congress may build out of its experience and wisdom, I shall seek, within my constitutional authority, to bring to speedy adoption.

We do not distrust the — the future of essential democracy. The people of the United States have not failed. In their need they have registered a mandate that they want direct, vigorous action. They have asked for discipline and direction under leadership. They have made me the present instrument of their wishes. In the spirit of the gift I take it.

In this dedication — In this dedication of a Nation, we humbly ask the blessing of God.

May He protect each and every one of us.  May He guide me in the days to come.

See the video of his speech:  http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrfirstinaugural.html 

Wolf’s Head is one of the 50 classic climbs and has an ethereal and surreal feel to it.  It was great to be back in the mountains again and feel the pulse of the universe. Wolf’s head is the mountain in the central - back of the photo, with Pingora on the right. Amazing ridgeline traverse winding between towers.

This was the start of my climb this weekend. Well, the technical start anyway.   I took Alex Boehm and JP Huser on the climb and it was a big route for both of them. For JP - it was his first big alpine route. They both did great!  It was a bit spicy because there was snow and ice on the north sides of the route.  Those moments of self doubt - the fear that creeps up - those moments that tell you to STEP UP - are those in life to be cherished.  And of course they don’t just happen in the mountains. They happen all the time.  Our ability to harness that energy and overcome our fears every day is part of the Seeking True North journey… and one that is a beautiful part of life.